Joel 2

¹Synge ye with a trumpe in Sion, yelle ye in myn hooli hil. Alle the dwelleris of erthe be disturblid; for the dai of the Lord cometh,

²for the dai of derknessis and of myist is niy, the dai of cloude and of whirlewynde. As the morewtid spred abrood on hillis, a myche puple and strong. Noon was lijk it fro the bigynnyng, and after it schal not be, til in to yeeris of generacioun and of generacioun.

³Bifore the face therof schal be fier deuourynge, and after it schal be brennynge flawme; as a gardyn of liking the lond schal be bifor him, and wildirnesse of desert schal be after him, and noon is that schal ascape him.

⁴The lokyng of hem schal be as the lokyng of horsis, and as horse men so thei schulen renne.

⁵As the sown of cartis on the heedis of hillis thei schulen skippe; as the sowne of the flawme of fier deuourynge stobil, as a strong puple maad redi to batel.

⁶Puplis schulen be turmentid of the face therof, alle facis schulen be dryuun in to a pot.

⁷As stronge men thei schulen renne, as men werriours thei schulen stie on the wal. Men schulen go in her weies, and thei schulen not bowe awei fro her pathis.

⁸Ech man schal not make streyt his brother, ech man schal go in his path; but also thei schulen falle doun bi wyndows, and schulen not be hirt.

⁹Thei schulen entre in to the citee, thei schulen renne on the wal; thei schulen stie on housis, thei schulen entre as a niyt theef bi wyndows.

¹⁰The erthe tremblide of his face, heuenys weren mouyd, the sunne and the moone weren maad derk, and sterris withdrowen her schynyng.

¹¹And the Lord yaf his vois bifor the face of his oost, for hise oostis ben ful manye; for tho ben stronge, and doen the word of hym. For the dai of the Lord is greet, and ful ferdful, and who schal suffre it?

¹²Now therfor seith the Lord, Be ye conuertid to me in al youre herte, in fastyng, and wepyng, and weilyng;

¹³and kerue ye youre hertis, and not youre clothis, and be ye conuertid to youre Lord God, for he is benygne, and merciful, pacient, and of myche merci, and abidynge, ether foryyuynge, on malice.

¹⁴Who woot, if God be conuertid, and foryyue, and leeue blessyng aftir hym? sacrifice and moist sacrifice to oure Lord God.

¹⁵Synge ye with a trumpe in Sion, halewe ye fastyng, clepe ye cumpany; gadere ye togidere the puple, halewe ye the chirche,

¹⁶gadere ye togidere elde men, gadere ye togidere litle children, and soukynge the brestis; a spouse go out of his bed, and a spousesse of hir chaumbre.

¹⁷Prestis, the mynystris of the Lord, schulen wepe bitwixe the porche and the auter, and schulen seie, Lord! spare thou, spare thi puple, and yyue thou not thin eritage in to schenschipe, that naciouns be lordis of hem. Whi seien thei among puplis, Where is the God of hem?

¹⁸The Lord louyde gelousli his lond, and sparide his puple.

¹⁹And the Lord answeride, and seide to his puple, Lo! Y schal sende to you wheete, and wyn, and oile, and ye schulen be fillid with tho; and Y schal no more yyue you schenschipe among hethene men.

²⁰And Y schal make hym that is at the north fer fro you; and Y schal cast hym out in to a lond with out weie, and desert; his face ayens the eest see, and the laste part therof at the last see; and the stynk therof schal stie, and the root therof schal stie, for he dide proudli.

²¹Erthe, nyle thou drede, make thou ful out ioye, and be glad; for the Lord magnefiede that he schulde do.

²²Beestis of the cuntrei, nyle ye drede, for the faire thingis of desert buriowneden; for the tre brouyte his fruyt, the fige tre and vyner yauen her vertu.

²³And the sones of Sion, make ye ful out ioie, and be ye glad in youre Lord God, for he yaf to you a techere of riytfulnesse, and he schal make morewtid reyn and euentid reyn to come doun to you, as in the bigynnyng.

²⁴And cornflooris schulen be fillid of wheete, and pressours schulen flowe with wyn, and oile.

²⁵And Y schal yelde to you the yeris whiche the locuste, bruke, and rust, and wort worm, my greet strengthe, eet, which Y sente in to you.

²⁶And ye schulen ete etyng, and ye schulen be fillid; and ye schulen herie the name of youre Lord God, that made merueils with you; and my puple schal not be schent with outen ende.

²⁷And ye schulen wite, that Y am in the myddis of Israel; and Y am youre Lord God, and `noon is more; and my puple schal not be schent with outen ende.

²⁸And it schal be, aftir these thingis Y schal schede out my spirit on ech man, and youre sones and youre douytris schulen profesie; youre elde men schulen dreme dremes, and youre yonge men schulen se visiouns.

²⁹But also Y schal schede out my spirit on my seruauntis, and handmaydis, in tho daies;

³⁰and Y schal yyue grete wondris in heuene, and in erthe, blood, and fier, and the heete of smoke.

³¹The sunne schal be turned in to derknessis, and the moone in to blood, bifor that the greet dai and orrible of the Lord come.

³²And it schal be, ech that clepith to helpe the name of the Lord, schal be saaf; for whi saluacioun schal be in the hil of Sion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord seide, and in the residue men, whiche the Lord clepith.

Joel 2

¹Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

²A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

³A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

⁴The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

⁵Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

⁶Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

⁷They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:

⁸Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

⁹They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

¹⁰The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

¹¹And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

¹²Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

¹³And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

¹⁴Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?

¹⁵Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:

¹⁶Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

¹⁷Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

¹⁸Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

¹⁹Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:

²⁰But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

²¹Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.

²²Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

²³Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

²⁴And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.

²⁵And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

²⁶And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

²⁷And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

²⁸And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

²⁹And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

³⁰And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

³¹The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.

³²And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.